


Associations

by rhodrymavelyne



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:28:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22821007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhodrymavelyne/pseuds/rhodrymavelyne
Summary: Associations not only come easily to Will Graham, but they come to his psychiatrist’s mind when he’s listening to his patient’s delicious voice, contemplating the changes to come…
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Associations

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place during the first season before Will’s arrest. I don’t own Hannibal but for the last few months, it has owned me.

Ah, the caramel richness of that soft voice. If butterscotch could speak, it would have sounded like Will Graham. Hannibal found himself leaning forward, hanging on every word, enraptured with the sound. 

How difficult it was, listening to his other patients after that hushed, sweet tone. It was hard seeing them as anything other than dull and uninteresting afrer having Will Graham in the chair opposite, listening to his butterscotch voice, and breathing in the sweet wildness of his madness and the panicked innocence trapped within. 

How the little firefly beat his bright wings against the change inevitably coming to him. Tenderness welled within Hannibal Lecter every time he saw the fear of his own transformation in Will Graham’s eyes. Not that Will needed to fear. Hannibal was there to cup him in his palm, to nourish and savour his light for as long as he still glowed. 

Associations indeed came quickly with Will Graham. Butterscotch and fireflies, such unrelated metaphors, yet they were swiftly becoming one in this young man’s presence. It was like revisiting a childhood wonderland, even though he was the guide and guardian of this particular wounded child. 

How easy it would be to let their inner landscapes meet and mingle, somewhere in this world of associations. This was crossing the boundaries of professionalism, he could almost hear Bedelia Du Maurier’s warning in his head. Some boundaries, however, were meant to be crossed. Some boundaries shouldn’t be. All one needed to do, was simply wait until they collapsed. 

The boundaries were collapsing already, layer by layer, dream by dream. What lay within Will Graham’s fevered imagination was opening to him, even as the young man himself opened up. 

Perhaps the rush of associations from his own memory palace was exactly what Will needed to stabilize himself. Perhaps the chaos of Will’s dreams and inner monsters were what Hannibal needed to keep the place from becoming too dull. 

What existed already would have to be tested, though, to the very foundations of its being. Will would have survive the testing, meet with all he was. 

Fragile though Will Graham was, Hannibal had faith in his ability to do so. He was doing his patient no favors by sparing him the trials to come. Besides, even if Hannibal would be the one testing him, he also intended to be by Will’s side during the upcoming ordeals. One thing the young man didn’t have to fear was ever being alone again. 

Hannibal would always be beside him, even if he himself he couldn’t anticipate the shape he’d take. Will’s imagination was, after all, beyond even his control. This added a measure of danger, of uncertainty to his plans for this young man, not to mention a lot of spice. 

He’d neglected certain spices for too long. Time to be a little more daring in this particular recipe. 

Hannibal allowed only a hint of his smile to touch his lips. Let Will wonder at his expression. Let him wonder what he was really thinking. 

It would be supremely rude if he didn’t answer the mystery of Will Graham with a little mystery himself.

**Author's Note:**

> The title and references to associations are connected to a comment Hannibal made to Will in the pilot about associations coming quickly to him.


End file.
